Non Violence A Way Of Life

Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Jaibhikkhu Sahitya Trust

Page 14

because of me."
And then his eyes opened wide, with tears glistening at the ends of each of his two lotus-like eyes. Seeing the tears Sangama danced and spoke, "Oh ! the pitying eyes of forgiving God will surely bless me though I have tormented him."
Kalikalsarvajnya Hemchandracharya says:
कृतापराधे ऽपि जने कृपामन्थरतार योः ।
ईषद् बाष्पार्द्र योर्मद्रं श्रीवीर जिनेने त्रयोः ।। (Beneficent are Bhagwan Mahavir's eyes which emit pity on his tormentors and which are wet with tears in the corners on account of his compassion for them.)
Once upon a time Bhagwan Mahavir thought that in order to cast off Karma, he should go to a place where man was man's enemy, where nobody knew what a monk was and where he had no friends and acquaintances. He wanted to put the religion of ahimsa (non-violence), the religion of love, to test. So, he went to the Anarya region named Radha where it was difficult even to survive. Here people were unkind and cruel. The bruised his body in a hundred ways. Wild dogs tore at his flesh. At that time one of his disciples said, "Shell we not keep with us a stick at least to keep them off ?"
"In that case our vow of Ahimsa will be broken", said Mahavir.
There he was tormented almost to death but Mahavir did not deviate from his path at all.
It is said in the Acharanga Sutra:
सूरो संग्राम-सीसेवा, संवुडे तत्थ से महावीरे ।
पडि सेवमाणे करूसाई अचले भगवं रीइत्था । (As the body of an armoured warrior remains unwounded in war, so Bhagwan Mahavir showed great fortitude even in the midst of torments.)
In the twelfth year of his initiation, Bhagwan stood in meditation under a tree on the outskirts of the town Chhammani. An incident similar to that which had happened on the first day of his initiation happened again. Leaving his bullocks to the care of Mahavir, a cowherd left for some work. Bhagwan Mahavir who was in meditation did not say anything. Taking his silence for consent, the cowherd went away. The grazing bullocks disappeared into a thicket nearby. The cowherd returned and not finding his bullocks there, asked, "O, Monk ! Where are my bullocks ?" But he got no reply. He asked a second time. But Mahavir was in meditation. How would he give an answer? The cowherd's anger knew no bounds. "I have been asking so often, and you do not answer, nor do you show any other sign to reassure me about my
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